Cloth doffing mechanism

ABSTRACT

A mechanism is described for removing a filled cloth roll from a loom and for transporting a plurality of said removed said filled cloth rolls away from the loom area. A doffing cart is provided which is adapted to be placed adjacent the horizontally extending filled cloth roll on the loom and includes means for lifting the roll, when detached, horizontally onto the cart. The doffing cart with the filled cloth roll secured thereto may then be lifted to an upright position, where the filled cloth roll extends vertically, and the doffing cart may then be rolled away from the loom in the narrow aisles generally provided between looms. A receiving cart is provided which is adapted to receive the filled cloth roll from the doffing cart, store a plurality of said rolls and transport said plurality of rolls away from the loom area. Further, the receiving cart may store a number of empty rolls for installation in the looms when the filled rolls are removed therefrom. The doffing cart includes a tongue means adapted to be engaged with a coupling bar on the receiving cart placing the platform which supports the vertical filled cloth roll on the doffing cart substantially flush with the floor of the receiving cart so that the filled cloth roll need only be slid from one cart to the other.

0 United States Patent [151 3,650,419 Upshur et al. 21, 1972 [541 CLOTH DOFFING MECHANISM 2,585,325 2/1952 lmshaug ..214/85 x [72] Inventors: Littleton Upshur, Greensboro, N.C.; Bur- Primary Examiner-Robert G. Sheridan ton P. Franklin, Danvllle; Asa E. Roane, Redford, both of Va.; Kenneth Y. Wang, Atwmey cushman Darby & Cushman Greensboro, N .C. 57] ABSTRACT [73] Assign: gurnngmn Industries Greensboro A mechanism is described for removing a filled cloth roll from a loom and for transporting a plurality of said removed said [22] Filed; Feb, 25, 1970 filled cloth rolls away from the loom area A dofiing cart is provided which lS adapted to be placed ad acent the horizon- [2]] Appl. No.: 13,968 tally extending filled cloth roll on the loom and includes means for lifting the roll, when detached, horizontally onto the 52 us. Cl ..2l4/38 B, 28/41, 214/77, cm The 5 with t 910th Secured 214/85, 214/DlG. 4, 242/586, 280/47.12, 280/793 may then be lifted to an upright position, where the filled cloth [5!] Int. Cl ..B65g 67/02 extends vemcany and the doffin-g can may be rolled [58] Field of Search ....2l4/38 R, 38 B, 38 BA, 3838, away the in the aisles generally Pmvided 214/1316 4; 28/77 85, 41; 242/586; 280/4112, between looms A receiving cart 18 provided which is adapted 79.3 to receive the filled cloth roll from the doffing cart, store a plurality of said rolls and transport said plurality of rolls away [56] References Cited from the loom area. Further, the receiving cart may store a number of empty rolls for installatlon in the looms when the UN STATES PATENTS filled rolls are removed therefrom. The doffing cart includes a tongue means adapted to be engaged with a coupling bar on 1,148,531 8/1915 Oldham ..2l4/38 BA the receiving can placing the platform which Supports the 1,930,076 10/1933 Bentley "280/793 tical filled cloth roll on the doffing cart substantially flush with 1,396,980 1 H1921 Thornber... ..2l4/8 the floor of the receiving cart so that the filled cloth roll need 1,870,225 8/1932 Berry ..214/DIG. 4 only be shd f one can to the m 2,624,476 1/1953 Schmidt ..2l4/77 2,656,050 10/1953 Best et al. ..2l4/85 X 8 Claims, 19 Drawing Figures PATENTEDMARm ma SHEEI 1 OF 6 WWW mwugw m 5% M5 U H 5 M In QM 247 PAIENTEUMAR21 m2 3,650,419

' sum 2 OF 6 za A32 /7 my 03 /J7 Mg ATTORKIEZ;

PATENTEDMARZI 15:72 3,650,419

sum 3 0r 6 an ATTORNEYS PAIENTEDMAR21 I972 3,650,419

SHEET u 0r 6 ATTORNEYS PAIENTEDMARZI I912 3,650.41 9

SHEET 5 OF 6 V A25 5 Kama 5 BY fill IV K ATTORNEY) This invention relates to an assembly for removing a filled cloth roll from a loom, lifting said cloth roll to a vertical position, transporting said cloth roll away from'said loom to a receiving means and wherein said receiving means is adapted to receive and store a plurality of said filled cloth rolls and transport same away from the loom area. In particular, this invention relates to cart means for transporting a filled cloth roll, said cart means including means for lifting a detached filled cloth roll onto said cart and transporting same away from the loom, and in addition, a cart means for receiving a plurality of the filled cloth rolls from a doffing cart or carts for transporting the plurality of filled cloth rolls from the loom area.

It is well known that the filled cloth rolls on looms are very heavy and bulky making them difficult to manipulate. Further, it is generally the case that in a loom area a number of looms are placed very close together so that the aisles provided therebetween for removing filled rolls and installing empty rolls are quite narrow making it difficult to manipulate the heavy, bulky filled cloth rolls therein. At the present time, the filled cloth rolls are generally removed from the looms manually, and the worker must then manipulate the roll through the narrow aisle between looms and carry it to a storage area. In performing this task he is required to bend or stoop to grasp the filled cloth roll, detach it from the loom, lift himself and the filled cloth roll to an upright position and manipulate the heavy, bulky filled cloth roll outwardly from between the looms in the very narrow aisle provided therefor. Further, he is often required to carry this very heavy roll a substantial distance to a storage area. In addition, in removing the filled cloth roll from the loom it is necessary to install therein an empty roll so that either the worker removing the filled roll must also manipulate an empty roll or an additional worker must be provided to install empty rolls to replace the filled rolls. It can be seen that the manual labor required in carrying out this operation is costly and time consuming in addition to being difficult.

It is therefore an object of this invention to provide a means for removing filled cloth rolls from looms and transporting same away from the loom area which will reduce the manual labor involved to a minimum.

Another object of this invention is to provide a means for manipulating a filled cloth roll from a loom in a very narrow area.

A further object of this invention is to provide a means for lifting the horizontally extending filled cloth roll which has been detached from a loom onto a cart means, said cart means being adapted to be raised to a vertical position and moved away from the loom in the very narrow aisles provided between looms.

Still another object of this invention is to provide means for transporting a plurality of filled cloth rolls away from the loom area, said means being adapted to be engaged with the cart means defined in the object immediately above so that the filled cloth roll may be removed from the above-described cart means to the means described herein without requiring manual lifting.

The aforementioned and other objects are provided in any assembly which comprises a first cart means for receiving and having secured thereto a horizontally removable cloth roll from a loom and a second cart means for receiving and storing a plurality of the filled cloth rolls. The first cart means is adapted to move the detached horizontally extending filled cloth roll onto said first cart, raise the cart to a vertical position and transport same through the narrow aisles between looms. The first cart means includes movable arms for lifting the filled cloth roll onto the cart. The second cart means is adapted to receive a plurality of the filled cloth rolls in the vertical or upright position, and it also includes a storage area for empty rolls to be used for replacing the filled rolls on the looms. The first cart includes a platform upon which an end of the filled cloth roll rests when in the vertical or upright position and this platform is designed to be a height corresponding to the height from the loom room floor of a similar supporting surface on the second cart. A means for coupling the first cart to the second cart is provided so that the filled cloth roll may be slid from one to the other without requiring manual lifting.

The principles of this invention may be best understood by reference to a description hereinbelow of a preferred embodiment of an assembly which is constructed and designed to operate according to said principles in conjunction with the drawings in which:

FIG. 1 is a fragmented side elevation of a preferred embodiment of the doffing cart adapted to receive and have secured thereto the filled cloth roll from the loom; the doffing cart is shown in the horizontal position adapted to receive the horizontally extending cloth roll;

FIG. 2 is a cross section of the dofiing cart illustrated in FIG. 1 taken along the line 2-2;

FIG. 3 is an expanded fragmentary view of the cross section illustrated in FIG. 2 taken along the line 33;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of the doffing cart illustrated in FIG. I with an empty roll, which is adapted to replace the filled roll on the loom, shown in place on the doffing cart;

FIG. 5 is an end elevation of a first preferred embodiment of a receiving cart for receiving a plurality of the filled cloth rolls as well as storing a number of empty rolls for replacement in the looms;

FIG. 6 is a top elevation of the first preferred embodiment of the receiving cart illustrated in FIG. 5;

FIG. 7 is a top elevation of a second preferred embodiment of a receiving cart;

FIG. 8 is an end elevation of the second preferred embodiment of the receiving cart illustrated in FIG. 7;

FIG. 9 is a fragmentary view showing the doffing cart illustrated in FIGS. 1-4 as being engaged with the receiving cart illustrated in FIGS. 7 and 8 for transferring a filled cloth roll from the doffing cart to the receiving cart; and

FIGS. 10a-j are diagrammatic top elevations of the doffing cart illustrating the manipulations required of the doffing cart to place the filled cloth roll thereon.

While the assembly constructed according to the principles of this invention comprises two elements, namely a doffing cart and a receiving cart, the structural details of these elements will be described separately hereinbelow.

In FIGS. 1-4 a preferred embodiment of the doffing cart for directly receiving the filled cloth roll from the loom and having same secured thereon for transporting the filled cloth roll in the narrow aisle between looms is described. In these figures as well as all of the other figures of the drawings like elements are indicated by like numerals.

The doffing cart, generally indicated by the numeral 10, has a frame structure comprised of two horizontally spaced elongated frame members 12a and 121) which are shown in a horizontal position in FIG. 1 and in the vertical position in FIG. 4. The frame members I2ab are separated by a cover plate 33 at the top or end of the cart, and a U-shaped handle 32 is attached between frame members 12a and 12b at this point. An angle bracket 34 attached to the frame members l2a-b is provided at the end of the cart remote from cover plate 33. The space between the frame members and 12b is of a width which will allow the width. of a filled cloth roll to be accommodated therebetween, but which will allow the width of the doffing cart defined by the distance between said frame members 12a and b to be accommodated in the narrow aisles usually found between looms. Depending on the position of the cart, angle bracket 34 extends horizontally or vertically and supports a channel-shaped platform member 36. As shown in FIG. 1, the cart, particularly frame members 120 and 12b, is extended horizontally. The platform 36 is equipped with a floor surface 40 which is of a friction-reducing material; in the preferred embodiment nylon is used for this purpose, but any similar material achieving the desired result may be used. The bight portion of channel-shaped platform 36 which supports floor surface 40 extends forwardly and outwardly thereof and is bent substantially perpendicularly with the floor surface 40 to form a tongue 37, the purpose for which will be discussed more fully hereinbelow. A caster 60 of the conventional variety is attached to platform 36 by means of wheel block 62 to support the platform when the cart is in the upright or vertical position shown in FIG. 4.

A pair of wheels 43 are placed on both sides of angle bracket 34 and rotatably mounted on an axle 42 which is supported from angle bracket 34 by means not shown. An antiskid lever 45 having a perpendicularly-related tongue member 47, rotatably mounted on axle 42 axially adjacent one of the wheels 43, is provided for braking the wheel 43 associated therewith when the cart 10 is in the horizontal position shown in FIG. 1. That is, when the lever 45 is placed in a position so that its tongue member 47 is wedged between the wheel surface with which the lever is associated and the floor, the wheel will be effectively braked, and the cart 10 may then be readily lifted or levered into the vertical position shown in FIG. 4 without fear ofwheels 43 rolling.

An L-shaped member 38 is attached to angle bracket 34 with an arm of the L extending parallel to and slightly beneath the frame members 12, when viewing the cart 10 as in FIG. I. This member 38 is provided for supporting an empty roll 80in the manner shown in FIG. 4 so that such an empty roll is readily available for installation in a loom after the filled cloth roll is removed. The empty roll 80 is further secured to the cart 10 by means of handles 46 and 48 attached to frame members 12 substantially at the centers thereof. The handles 46 and 48 are used also as a means for manually pushing the cart in the upright position shown in FIG. 4. The handle 46 is designed to be stationary and is fixedly secured to frame member 12a. The handle 48, however, is spring loaded so that the inward portion of the handle may be moved away from frame member 12b allowing the roll 80 to be removed from the cart. As best shown in FIG. 3, handle 48 is attached to frame member 12b by means of a bolt 81 having a compression spring 83 interposed between the bolt 81 and the nut 82. Thus, the spring 83 tends to hold handle 48 in against frame member 12b but it may be manually pushed rearwardly to allow removal of the roll 80.

At a point on frame members 12a and 12b slightly above handles 46 and 48 are attached wheel blocks 26 and 22, respectively, having rotatably secured thereto wheels 27 and 24, respectively. The wheels 24 and 27 allow the cart 10 to be readily manipulated by handle 32 when the cart is in the horizontal position shown in FIG. 1.

A pair of stationary arcuate-shaped arms are spaced along the length of frame member 1212. These arm members 18 and 20, respectively, are fixedly attached to frame member 12b by any well'known means, such as welding, at points 19 and 23. The arm members 18 and 20 have portions 17 and 21, respectively, along their arcuate length which extend across the space between frame members 120 and 12b, as best shown in FIG. ,4. The portions 17 and 21 provide support for the filled cloth roll placed on the cart between frame members 12a and 12b when the cart is in the horizontal position shown in FIG. 1.

A pair of rotatable, arcuate shaped arms 14 and 16 are spaced along the length of frame member 12a and are adjacent the arms 18 and 20, respectively. The arms 14 and 16 are rotatably mounted, in a manner to be described below, on a pickup rod 30 which is rotatably mounted on frame member [2a by means of frame bearing blocks 28. The rod 30 is adapted to be rotated in either a clockwise or counterclockwise direction. At the end thereof adjacent handle 32, the rod 30 is bent in substantially a 90 angle to form pickup rod handle 31, and the end of angle 31 is broken to form a rotatable portion 29 for manipulating the pickup rod 30. The arm 16 is mounted by any convenient means firmly to the pickup rod 30 so that this arm will rotate 90 in both directions when the pickup rod 30 is so rotated. The arm 14 is, however, rotatably mounted on pickup rod 30 in such a way that the arm 14 will not follow pickup rod 30 when it is rotated in a clockwise direction, but it may be freely manually rotated in that direction about the rod, said direction being taken as it would appear to one facing handle 32 and the length of the cart. The arm 14 is attached to the pickup rod 30 by a positive drive mechanism 72 so that when the handle 30 is rotated in the counterclockwise direction the arm 14 will follow the motion of the pickup rod. It is to be noted that when the arms 14 and 16 are at rest in the fully counterclockwise position, they extend upwardly from a horizontally placed cart 10 in a manner similar to arms 18 and 20. When the arms 14 and 16 are rotated fully in the clockwise direction they extend outwardly, laterally of frame member 12a.

An angle bracket 62 is mounted on wheel block 22 and has attached to the upwardly extending portion thereof strap 64, which is made of rubber in the preferred embodiment, and which is adapted to secure the filled cloth roll on the cart. The strap 64 extends across the width of the cart between frame members 12a and 12b and has at its end an eyelet 66 adapted to be placed around a peg 68 attached to an angle bracket 67 extending upwardly from wheel block 26.

The frame members, arms, angle brackets, handles and the like described hereinabove are all preferably fabricated in the well-known manner from lightweight metallic materials to enhance the ease of manipulation of the cart.

In order to more clearly understand the functions of the various movable parts, particularly the arms 14 and 16, on the dofi'mg cart 10 and in order to more clearly understand how doffing cart 10 is used to remove a filled cloth roll from a loom reference will now be made to FIGS. 10a-j which are diagrammatic illustrations of the various positions of the cart and the arms illustrating the use of the cart for filled cloth roll removal. In each of these Figures like elements are indicated by like numerals and correspond to numerals used in FIGS. 1-4. In FIG. 10a the doffing cart 10 is shown as having been placed in the narrow aisle between looms 92a and 92b. The doffing cart is in the horizontal position as shown in FIG. I, and it will be used to remove a filled cloth roll from loom 92a. In this position doffing cart 10 is manipulated by operator 88 at the handle of the doffing cart 32 to be placed under the loom 92a as close to the roll of cloth 90 as possible. It is to be noted that an empty roll 84 is in place on the doffing cart 10, as shown in FIG. 4.

In FIG. 10b the doffing cart 10 has been manipulated by the operator so that the end thereof adjacent platform 36 is under loom 92a and under and end offilled cloth roll 90.

FIG. 10c illustrates the doffing cart 10 as being in the same position as in FIG. 1012, but at this point the operator has turned handle 31 and pickup rod 30 through an angle of 90 in a clockwise direction, the direction being as seen by the operator 88 facing handle 32. In so rotating the pickup rod 30 movable arm 16 is rotated so that it is in an outstretched position extending laterally from cart 10 beneath roll 90. The movable arm 14, because of the mode of connection described above, will remain in an upright position.

FIG. 10d illustrates arm 16 of doffing cart 10 being in the same position as in FIG. 100. In this figure, however, the operator has moved the doffing cart inwardly under loom 92a so that the arm 16 is more fully under the filled cloth roll 90. It is to be noted, as mentioned above, that the doffing cart 10 is made of very light weight materials so that it can readily be moved under the loom by means of manipulation of handle 32.

FIG. 10e illustrates the doffing cart 10 being in the same position as in FIG. 10d, but in this figure the operator has manually rotated movable arm I4 through an angle of substantially 90 in a clockwise direction so that arm 14 is directly underneath the end of cloth roll 90 remote from the end beneath which arm 16 has been placed.

FIG. 10f illustrates the arms 14 and 16 of doffing cart 10 as being in the same position as in FIG. Me. In this figure, however, the end of doffing cart 10 adjacent arm 14 is moved by the operator so that it is beneath roll 90 to a greater degree.

When the doffing cart 10 is under the roll 90 in the manner shown in FIG. 103 so that both the arms 14 and 16 and a substantial portion of the width of the cart are beneath the roll 90, the operator may then disengage the end of roll 90 adjacent arm 14 from the loom. The end of roll 90 adjacent arm 14 is then allowed to merely drop down onto cart so that it rests on arm 14. The end of roll 90 adjacent arm 16 remains engaged to the loom.

In FIG. 10h the end of roll 90 adjacent arm 14 is shown as resting on the arm, and the cart 10 has been moved so the end of the cart adjacent handle 32 is pulled outwardly away from the loom. That is, the cart is manipulated to be men angle with the loom so that only that end of the roll resting an arm 14 is brought out from under the loom.

As shown in FIG. 101', with an end of the filled cloth roll 90 resting on arm 14, the operator will pull the cart and cloth roll toward him, and the end of the cloth roll adjacent arm 16 will be disengaged from the loom by this pulling action and will fall onto arm 16. While the cloth roll 90 is resting on arms 14 and 16, the doffing cart 10 should be manipulated so that it is entirely out from under the loom 92a.

In FIG. 10j the arms 14 and 16 have been rotated in a counterclockwise direction by rotating handle 31 of pickup rod 30.

The movement of arms 14 and 16 in the above-described manner moves the roll onto the doffing cart 10 so that it rests thereon on portions 17 and 21 of fixed arms 18 and 20, respectively (see FIG. 4). The fixed arms 18 and 20, while roll 90 is being moved by arms 14 and 16, act as barriers preventing the filled cloth roll 90 from rolling off doffing cart 10 on the side thereof away from the loom from which the filled roll was removed. When the filled cloth roll 90 is resting on doffing cart 10, the holding strap 64 may be placed across the roll and attached to the pin 68 thereby firmly securing the roll to the cart.

With antiskid lever 45 in place so that tongue 47 thereof is wedged between wheel 43 and the floor upon which the cart is resting the doffing cart may be lifted or levered into an upright position, this position being shown in FIG. 4. With the cart in this position an end of filled cloth roll 90 will rest on the floor surface 40 of channel-shaped platform 36. Any tendency of the roll to fall forwardly is resisted by the attached strap 64. Having lifted the doffing cart 10 to its upright position with the filled cloth roll secured thereon the operator may then remove the empty roll 84 from its place on the cart on roll support 38 by pulling handle 48 rearwardly and installthe empty roll 84 in the loom.

FIGS. 5 and 6 illustrate, in end and top elevations, respectively, the structural details of a first preferred embodiment of a receiving cart constricted according to the principles of this invention. In these two figures like elements are indicated by like numerals.

The receiving cart, generally indicated as 100, is adapted to receive a plurality of filled cloth rolls from the doffing cart 10 in a manner to be described hereinbelow and to store said filled cloth rolls in a vertical or upright position. Further, along the rear side thereof, the receiving cart 100 is adapted to store a number of empty rolls for installation on the looms from which filled cloth rolls have been removed.

The receiving cart 100 includes floor braces 101 upon which a surface 102 has been placed. Beneath floor surface 102 and centrally disposed on the front and rear sides of the cart 100 wheel blocks 108 have been mounted from which depend the wheels 107. Centrally of the ends of the cart, casters 109 have been mounted allowing the cart to be readily maneuverable. A truck lock 132 is mounted at one end of the receiving cart 100 and is operable by a handle 133 to lock the cart in place, as needed. Rubber bumpers 104 are mounted on the four corners of the cart as formed by the floor brace members 101. A coupling bar 106 is mounted along the front side edge of the floor 102 of the cart. This bar is fixedly attached to that edge and is extended outwardly therefrom by spacers 107. The function of coupling bar 106 will be discussed more fully hereinbelow.

In order to store the filled cloth rolls, as well as the empty rolls, in an upright position an upright frame structure is provided which extends around the periphery of the cart 100, but

corners of the cart adjacent coupling bar 106. An additional front upright member 112 is centrally placed along the front side of the cart to divide same into two sections. Rear upright members 114 are placed along the rear edge of the cart in positions corresponding to the positioning of the front upright members 112. The front upright members 112 are interconnected with the corresponding rear upright members 114 by means of top cross members which extend between the top ends of the aforementioned upright members. In addition the rear upright members 114 support a rear barrier frame structure generally indicated as 122. A second barrier structure is placed inwardly from rear barrier structure 122 by means of brace 144. As best shown in FIG. 5, the ends of the receiving cart are open to allow the empty rolls 140 to be readily removed from or placed in the space defined between barrier structures 120 and 122. Additional cross members 116, 118 and are provided for additional lateral structure support between upright members 112 and 114. Again, it must be remembered that there is no frame structure extending between the upright members 1112 allowing the front portion of the receiving cart to remain open for placing filled cloth rolls therein.

In order to understand how a doffing cart 10 will cooperate with receiving cart 100 in order to transfer the filled cloth roll from the doffing cart to the receiving cart a portion of a doffing cart is shown in dotted line in FIG. 6 and indicated with the numeral 10. It will be remembered from the description of the structural details of the doffing cart 10 in FIGS. 1-4 that the bight portion of the channel-shaped platform 36 extended forwardly from the remainder of the platform then was bent downwardly to form a tongue 37.. When a filled cloth roll has been placed on doffing cart 10 and the cart levered into the upright position shown in FIG. 4, the doffing cart 10 may be pushed by means of handles 46 and 48 to the position of the receiving cart 100. The turned-down tongue 37 of doffing cart 10 will fit in the space between coupling bar 106 and the front side floor brace member 101 on cart 100. The floor portion 40 of platform 46 on doffing cart 10 is sloped slightly forwardly toward tongue 37, and the floor surface 102 in cart 100 also slopes slightly downwardly rearwardly away from coupling bar 106. Further, these floor surfaces are made of friction resistant material so that the filled cloth roll may be readily slid in the vertical position from cart 10 to cart 100. The wheel structure of cart 10 is designed so that the floor surface of platform member 36 will be of a height from the floor substan tially equal to the height of the floor surface in the cart 100 from the loom room floor. Further, in coupling the doffing cart to the receiving cart the floor surface 40 will be placed substantially flush with the floor surface 102 by means of a coupling action of tongue 37 and coupling bar 106.

As the receiving cart 100 is filled with cloth rolls, it may be manually moved from position to position ad desired by means of handles 126 placed on each of the opposing ends thereof. The truck lock 132 will allow the cart 100 to be locked in a given position by means of a foot operation of handle 133 in the well-known manner.

FIGS. 7 and 8 illustrate the structural details of a second preferred embodiment of a receiving cart adapted to receive filled cloth rolls from a doffing cart 10. The receiving cart 200 is adapted to have the filled cloth roll 90 loaded therein from either side thereof. Means are provided for having a plurality of empty rolls stored centrally in the cart in horizontally extending positions and in a vertically stacked relationship.

The cart 100 includes a floor formed by support members 202 and a surface member 204. Wheels 208 are attached in any well-known manner to the four corners of the cart 200 ailowing it to move along the area where it is to receive filled cloth rolls. The cart 200 is designed to be drawn by motive power, e.g., a power truck, so that eyelets 210 are provided on both ends of the cart and are attached to the floor support member 202.

The end frame structures of the cart 200 are formed by continuous, U-shaped members 214 placed at both ends of the cart. The ends of the U in each member 214 are attached to opposite front and rear corners at a given end of the floor structure 202. Three front upright members 216 are spaced along the length of the cart 200 substantially centrally of its width, two of the members 216 being adjacent, attached to and providing vertical support for end members 214 and the other of the members 216 being located centrally along the length of the cart. Three rear upright members 218 are placed in corresponding positions along the length of the cart, but they are spaced from members 216 a distance slightly greater than the width of an empty roll 140. The upright members 216 are interconnected laterally by at least one cross member 220 which also provides lateral support for the end members 214. The upright members 218 are interconnected by a cross member 221. Within and across the space between uprights 216 and 218 shelf members 222 are attached. These members 222 may have an arcuate shape to accommodate the empty rolls 140, and they are placed above one another a height to allow the empty rolls to be accommodated. Thus, as best shown in FIG. 8, the empty rolls 140 may be readily slid in and out horizontally from the ends of cart 200.

As discussed hereinabove, the filled cloth rolls 90 are stored on either side of the cart 200 and may be placed therein from either side, as shown in FIG. 7. A number of pairs of straps 224, attached to cross members 220 and 221 are provided for the filled cloth rolls, one pair fitting around each roll. The straps 224 are attached to each of the cross braces 220 and 221 by plates 226 which are bolted thereon. An end of one of the straps of each pair 224 is equipped with an eyelet 225, and an end of the other strap of each pair is equipped with a hook 227 so that a pair of the straps 224 may be secured around the filled cloth roll 90.

Referring to FIG. 9, in order to move a filled cloth roll 90 from a doffing cart 10 to the receiving cart 200 the tongue 37 of the doffing cart 10 is placed in the space between the coupling bar 212, which is bolted to and spaced the appropriate distance, as determined by the thickness of tongue 37, from floor member 202. This places the surface 40 in the doffing cart 10 substantially adjacent the floor surface 204 in the receiving cart 200 so that the filled cloth roll 90 may readily be slid therein. When the filled cloth roll 90 has been placed in the receiving cart 200 it is secured therein by means of straps 224.

It may be seen from the description of the preferred embodiments given hereinabove that the objects set forth above may readily be achieved by utilizing the invention defined herein by the claims. In addition it is to be remembered that the description of the preferred embodiments given hereinabove is only exemplary and that modifications may be made to the described structural elements or their structural arrangement within the scope of the appended claims What is claimed is:

1. An assembly for removing filled cloth rolls from looms and for transporting said removed cloth rolls comprising first cart means for directly receiving and having secured thereto a horizontally removable cloth roll received from a loom, said first cart means including receiving means for receiving said horizontally removable cloth roll detached from a loom and for mechanically placing said cloth roll on said first cart means in a horizontally extending position when said first cart means is in a first position, and levering means for manual movement of said first cart means into a second position in which said filled cloth roll extends vertically and in which said first cart can transport said filled cloth roll away from said loom, thereby providing for means to transport said cloth roll away from the loom from which it was received,

second cart means for receiving and storing a plurality of said filled cloth rolls, said second cart means being adapted to transport said pluralit of cloth rolls and coupling means for releasab y attac ing said first cart means to said second cart means in a manner permitting a filled cloth roll to be transferred without manual lifting from said first cart means to said second cart means,

2. The assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said first cart means includes means for storing an empty cloth roll adapted to be attached to a loom.

3. The assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said receiving means comprises at least a pair of arms placed on opposite sides of said first cart and shaped to laterally restrain thereon a filled cloth roll resting on said first cart, one of said arms being rotatably in a first direction to extend beneath a horizontally extending cloth roll on a loom as to allow said cloth roll to rest thereon when detached from said loom and rotatable in a second direction to lift said cloth roll onto said cart, the other of said arms being stationary to form a barrier to prevent said cloth roll from rolling from said first cart means when lifted thereon.

4. The assembly defined in claim 3 wherein said receiving means further includes a manually rotatable shaft for rotating said one arm. V

5. The assembly defined in claim 4 wherein said first cart means has a plurality of pairs of said arms mounted thereon as to be spaced along the length of a filled cloth roll placed on said first cart,

the rotatable one of at least a first pair of said arms being attached to said shaft as to rotate with said shaft in said first and second directions and the rotatable one of at least a second pair of said arms being attached to said shaft as to remain extending in said laterally restraining position when said shaft is rotated in said first direction, said one arm being adapted to be manually rotatably about said shaft in said first direction and rotatably with said shaft in second direction.

6. The assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said coupling means comprises a tongue member extending from one of said first and second carts and a channel member on the other of said first and second carts adapted to receive said tongue member.

7. The assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said second cart means includes means for storing a plurality of filled cloth rolls in a vertical position therein.

8. The assembly defined in claim 9 wherein said second cart means further includes means for storing a plurality of empty rolls for installation in a loom from which filled cloth rolls have been removed.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTTUN Patent No. 3, 50, 19 t Dated March 21, 1972 Inventor(s) Littleton Upshur; Burton P. Fra kli Asa E. Roane and Ken It is certified that error appears i th e a'al identified patent and that said Letters Patent are hereby corrected as shown below:

, Column 6, line 70, the number "100" should be --200-.

Column 6, line 58, "ad" should be --as-.

Signed and sealed this 12th day of September 1972.

(SEAL) Attest:

ROBERT GOTTSCHALK Attesting Officer FORM PO-105O (10-69) u SCOMM-DC 60376-P59 i 0.5. covcmmun rnmvmc ornc: an o-au-uq 

1. An assembly for removing filled cloth rolls from looms and for transporting said removed cloth rolls comprising first cart means for directly receiving and having secured thereto a horizontally removable cloth roll received from a loom, said first cart means including receiving means for receiving said horizontally removable cloth roll detached from a loom and for mechanically placing said cloth roll on said first cart means in a horizontally extending position when said first cart means is in a first position, and levering means for manual movement of said first cart means into a second position in which said filled cloth roll eXtends vertically and in which said first cart can transport said filled cloth roll away from said loom, thereby providing for means to transport said cloth roll away from the loom from which it was received, second cart means for receiving and storing a plurality of said filled cloth rolls, said second cart means being adapted to transport said plurality of cloth rolls and coupling means for releasably attaching said first cart means to said second cart means in a manner permitting a filled cloth roll to be transferred without manual lifting from said first cart means to said second cart means.
 2. The assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said first cart means includes means for storing an empty cloth roll adapted to be attached to a loom.
 3. The assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said receiving means comprises at least a pair of arms placed on opposite sides of said first cart and shaped to laterally restrain thereon a filled cloth roll resting on said first cart, one of said arms being rotatably in a first direction to extend beneath a horizontally extending cloth roll on a loom as to allow said cloth roll to rest thereon when detached from said loom and rotatable in a second direction to lift said cloth roll onto said cart, the other of said arms being stationary to form a barrier to prevent said cloth roll from rolling from said first cart means when lifted thereon.
 4. The assembly defined in claim 3 wherein said receiving means further includes a manually rotatable shaft for rotating said one arm.
 5. The assembly defined in claim 4 wherein said first cart means has a plurality of pairs of said arms mounted thereon as to be spaced along the length of a filled cloth roll placed on said first cart, the rotatable one of at least a first pair of said arms being attached to said shaft as to rotate with said shaft in said first and second directions and the rotatable one of at least a second pair of said arms being attached to said shaft as to remain extending in said laterally restraining position when said shaft is rotated in said first direction, said one arm being adapted to be manually rotatably about said shaft in said first direction and rotatably with said shaft in second direction.
 6. The assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said coupling means comprises a tongue member extending from one of said first and second carts and a channel member on the other of said first and second carts adapted to receive said tongue member.
 7. The assembly defined in claim 1 wherein said second cart means includes means for storing a plurality of filled cloth rolls in a vertical position therein.
 8. The assembly defined in claim 9 wherein said second cart means further includes means for storing a plurality of empty rolls for installation in a loom from which filled cloth rolls have been removed. 